Plant shield or shelter



Oct. 28, 1941.

B. C. CHAMBERS PLANT SHIELD OR SHELTER Filed March 2, 1940 start.

Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE 2,260,436 PLANTSHIELD on SHELTER. Bert 0. Chambers, Concord, Mass.

Application March 2, 1940, Serial No. 321,961

v soiaims. The invention disclosed in the following description is thatof a plant shelter or shield. In

setting out or transplanting small plants it is desirable to give theseplants the best possible Much of the success depends upon protecting theplant from the sun, wind, rain or cold until it has become hardened and;adapted to conditions of open culture. The most desirable shelter isone which may be shifted to vary the amount of ventilation and light.

My invention comprises a shelter which will permit adjustment either tofit closely on the ground and thus cut off air currents and access ofinsects or optionally to be raised if the condition of the weather andthe time of day make such desirable. Under such conditions means areprovided for ventilating the top of the shelter without actually openingthe top itself.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shelter which can be madecheaply, readily collapsed for handy storage and reuse and will be easyto erect and use.

Other objects of my invention will be evident from the followingdescription of the preferred form as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the shelter in itsposition for use around a young plant;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the shelter collapsed for shipment or storageand Fig. 3 is an outside view of the blank used in manufacture.

The device consists essentially of a prism of folded sheet materialhaving an openable top, independent means for ventilating the upperportion of the enclosure on opposite sides and means for firmlysupporting the shelter on stakes which permit the shelter to be adjustedclose to or spaced from the level of the ground.

The shelter proper is made from a sheet of foldable suitableweather-resistant material which may be either heavy cardboard,parchment, light sheet metal or the like. This sheet is cut by dies orotherwise to form the blank 5. The blank 5 includes a series of fourside panels 6, I, 8 and 9. These panels are formed by scoring the blank5 along the vertical lines indicatedin Fig. 3. The end panel 9 has aflange II] also scored along the side edge of the panel 9.

The first panel 6 of the series has a side fiap ll extending above oneend of the panel. In like manner, the third side panel 8 has a similarside flap I 2. The intermediate panel I has a cover portion l3 with anend flap l4 which is adapted to tuck in when the cover is closed.

The end panel 9 may be called the front of the shelter and has no flap.The flange I0 is extended upwardly to form the extension 15 similar inheight to the side flap ll.

While I have indicated scoring as the means of providing the edges forfolding between the respective panels and between the panels .of theadjacent flaps, still variations may be permitted where the materialsuggests the desirability of other forms of folding or hinging.

A portion of the surface of the flange I0 is given an adhesive coatingl6 by which the flange may be attached to the free side edge of thepanel 6. Here again equivalent means of attachment may be used such asstapling, riveting, tongue-and-slot, or the like.

Panels 6 and 8 each have two transverse slots l1, 18. These arevertically spaced as shown in the drawing and provide means for holdingthe stakes.

The alternate panels 1 and 9 are slotted along curved lines If] to formtabs 20 which may be pushed out as shown in Fig. 1 to provide thedesired amount of upward or cross ventilation.

Two stakes 2| are provided for use with the shelter. These stakes may beflat stripsof wood or other suitable materials such as metal, wire orthe like. As shown in Fig. 2 each stake is pointed at the lower end andhas a length that may be equal to the overall length of the shelter whencollapsed. Each stake is passed inwardly of the slot l1 and outwardlythrough the slot [8 thus providing a frictional sliding adjustment.

In assembling the device the flange I0 is attached to the free edge ofthe side panel 6 thus forminga quadrilateral prism. The number of sides,however, may vary with necessity and convenience. As thus assembled theextension l5 underlies the side flap II and serves as a reinforcementfor the sides and flange as well as primarily to lock and to preventaccidental opening of the tuck-in flange I4 of the cover.

The assembly is completed by weaving the stakes 2| in the slot l1, 18.The shelter is then collapsed into a fiat position as shown in Fig. 2.Here the stakes protect the flaps l2 and cover l3 from damage duringtransport and storage.

The shelter may readily be placed in usable shape by being opened andthe stakes pushed vertically into the ground around the plant to beprotected. In this position the stakes 2| are parallel and their topsare beneath the upper edge of the side panels 6 and 8. The cover andflaps may be crossed or not as desired. The tabs 20 may also be openedfor ventilation. If it is de-.

sired to give greater exposure to the plant the shelter may easily belifted up from theground sliding on the parallel stakes 2|.

After the plant has become adapted to open culture, the shelterincluding the stakes may be removed and collapsed for storage and reuse.

While I have shown by way of example the preferred form which myinvention may take, it; is to be understood that numerous changes inmaterials, proportions andequivalents are included within the scope. ofthe invention'as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is: t

1. A collapsible plant shelter comprising a prism of folded sheetmaterial having vertical sides and a folded top, said prismbeingtransversely slotted on two opposite sides at vertically spaced points,and separate stakes slidably held in said transverse slots, said prismbeing free for slidable adjustment vertically on said stakes after thelatter are set vertically in the ground.

2. 'A collapsible shelter comprising a prism of folded sheet materialhaving -at itsupper end two side flaps and a cover; said prism beingtransversely slotted on two opposite sides and vertical stakes slidablyheld in the said transverse slots'and overlying the side-flaps when theshelter is collapsed. V '3. A collapsible shelter comprising a prism ofprism of folded sheet material having at its upper end two side flapsand a cover with a flange, said prism having transverse slots on twoopposite sides at vertically spaced points, the other two sides of saidprism being slotted to form tabs for ventilating openings and verticalstakes slidably held in the said transverse slots and overlying 1 theside flaps when the shelter is collapsed.

5. A'plant shelter comprising a prism of folded sheet material havingvertical sides and a folded 'top,'sai dprism havingtransverseSIOtSOII'tWO opposite sides at vertically spaced points," the other twosides of said prism being slotted to form tabs for ventilation openingsand vertical stakes slidably held in the said transverse-slots,

and forming parallel reinforcements 'for'" the shelter in both itscollapsed fiat form and itsoperative position, I

BERT clonmvr'enn's. I

